Switch mounting means



United States Patent SWITCH MOUNTING MEANS Nathan Rodney Schwartz, New York, N. Y. Application January 27, 1953, Serial No. 333,520

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-168) This invention relates to electric light switches broadly, and more specifically to a switch mounting arrangement, whereby ready access may be had to the wires leading to the switch for replacement or repair, without the necessity of dismanteling all or part of the fixture of which the switch is a part.

It is often desirable and convenient to provide the reflector of an electrical lighting fixture with a switch. Whenever it becomes necessary to gain access to the wires leading to such a switch, either for the purpose of replacement, repair or for any other purpose, it is necessary to dismantle the unit either wholly or in part. This results in a loss of considerable time and effort, especially in mass production industries.

With this in view, it is the principal object of the present invention to arrange a switch behind a reflector of an electrical lighting fixture in such a manner, that the switch may be removed to the outside of the reflector and access to the wires may be had without disturbing the remainder of the structure.

A further feature of the present invention resides in a switch mounting arrangement, whereby the switch may be removed to the outside of the reflector by removing the plate from the outside of the reflector, by which the switch is secured behind the reflector.

And another purpose of the present invention resides in the provision of a switch mounting arrangement of this character, whereby the reflector behind which the switch is intended to be mounted, is provided with an opening, covered by a removable plate, which is held in its adjusted position by a lock nut removably secured to the protruding stem of the switch, so that removal of the lock nut will permit removal of the cover plate.

And a still further advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of a mounting arrangement of this character which requires few and simple parts and wherein removal of the several parts can be achieved with a minimum of effort and without the use of tools.

And it is a further aim of the present invention to provide a method for mounting a switch behind the wall of a reflector for an electric lamp.

And yet another advantage of the present invention lies in the provision, as an article of manufacture, of an electric lamp reflector having a switch mounted behind the wall of the reflector.

These and other meritorius aims and advantages, which will become more fully apparent as the description hereof proceeds, are attained by the construction, combination and arrangement of few and simple parts, hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a material component of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 illustrates the switch mounting arrangement of the present invention applied to a reflector, the reflector being illustrated in broken lines since this specific type of reflector is here indicated merely for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of a reflector, from 2,764,655 Patented Sept. 25, 1956 which the cover plate of the present invention has been removed.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the cover plate of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a view in detail of the removable switch used in connection with the present invention.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the lock nut used in connection with the present invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates in general a reflector, such as may be used in connection with the present invention. Mounted at a convenient and desirable place behind the reflector is a switch 11, which will hereinafter be more fully described.

At the place where the switch is to be located, the reflector is provided with a substantially rectangular depression 22, in the center of which there may be provided with substantially rectangular opening 14 which is smaller in cross-section than depression 22. Centrally of its lower edge, opening 14 is formed with a downwardly extending rounded extension 23. At spaced intervals the edge of, depression 22 opposite extension 23 is provided with two slots identified by the numeral 16.

The invention further comprises a cover plate 24, the contour of which is exactly like the contour of the depression 22 but slightly smaller so that it may conveniently fit in depression 22. At spaced intervals along its upper edge, cover plate 24 is provided with pair of tongues 15, and in its center the said cover plate has an opening 14a, here illustrated as being circular in cr0ss-section, but which may have any other desirable and suitable shape.

The switch which is ilustrated as being used in connection with the present invention, but which forms no part of the invention comprises a terminal housing from which may extend a Wires 17.

Extending through the center of the said terminal housing 25 is the externally threaded shank 18 of a conventional switch, terminating in a conventional switch knob 20. Lock nut l? is adapted to retain the mounting arrangement in adjusted position.

The device is used in the following manner. After the lamp has been properly wired, the switch is entered through opening 14 in the depression 13 so that the terminal housing 25 will be behind the wall of reflector lit. Inasmuch as the terminal housing 25 is larger than opening 23 in depression 13, the housing will not inadvertently become disengaged from behind the said opening 23. Shank 18 will rest upon the rounded extension 23, and locking ring 30 will be on the outside of depression 23. Proper adjustment of the locking ring 3% upon the threaded shank 18 will maintain the switch securely fixed in its adjusted position.

Thereupon cover plate 24 is placed into M!- 2:), pair of conventional electrical depression 13'- in such manner that shank l8 and the switch knob 20 at its end will extend outwardly through the central opening 14a in cover plate 24, the said opening being slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of shaft 18. Tongues 15 will register with openings 16 to keep the cover plate securely in its place. Thereupon lock nut 19 is placed upon the outwardly projecting end of shank 19 and turned until it abutts cover plate 24- thereby keeping the entire switch mounting arrangement securely locked. When it is desired to gain access to the wires or the terminal, all that need be done is to remove lock nut 19, remove the cover plate 24 and, by tilting, withdraw the terminal housing 25 and connecting wires.

While the switch is here ilustrated as being used in connection with one kind of reflector, applicant does not desire to be limited to such use. Obviously, other types of reflectors may be used with equal efiectiveness. It may also be desired to apply this arrangement to a lamp base or any other suitable and desirable location. This can be done easily whenever it is possible to provide a depression such as herein referred to, and wherever sucr depression can be provided with an opening which is large enough to permit the switch terminal to be withdrawn therethrough.

Thus there has been shown and described an arrangement for a switch in the preferred form of its embodiment. It is to be understood however, that this disclosure is to be regarded merely as illustrative and descriptive thereof, and not as limitative or restrictive to the exact details shown, applicant reserving the right to make such changes in the construction of his invention, as may come within the scope of the appended claims without thereby departing either from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination with an electric switch comprising a housing, a threaded shaft extending rectangularly therefrom, said shaft terminating in a switch knob; of means for mounting the switch to a panel, said mounting means comprising a panel, a substantially rectangular cover plate, a seat in said panel for said cover plate, said seat comprising a substantially rectangular recess in said. panel slightly larger than said cover plate, means forming an aperture centrally through said recess for the passage of the switch shaft therethrough, a pair of narrow, spacedapart, outwardly directed channel-shaped cut-outs at one edge of said recess, a pair of outwardly directed spacedapart tongues extending from one edge of said cover plate, said tongues adapted to enter said cut-outs in said recess when said cover plate is seated upon said recess, means forming an aperture centrally of said cover plate in alignment with the aperture in said recess, the shaft of the switch passing therethrough when the cover plate is seated in said recess, and a lock nut adapted to screw upon the exposed portion of the switch shaft retaining the switch in engagement with the panel.

2. The combination with an electric switch comprising a housing, a threaded shaft extending therefrom, said shaft terminating in a switch knob; of means for mounting said switch to a panel, said mounting means comprising a panel, a cover plate, a seat in said panel for said cover plate, said seat comprising a recess in said cover plate slightly larger than said cover plate, means forming an aperture through said recess for the passage of the switch shaft therethrough, a plurality of spacedapart outwardly directed cut-outs in said recess, a plurality of spaced-apart outwardly directed tongues on said cover plate, said tongues adapted to enter said cutouts in said recess when said cover plate is seated upon said recess, means forming an aperture in said cover plate in alignment with the aperture in said recess, the shaft of the switch passing therethrough when the cover plate is seated in said recess, and means adapted to engage the exposed porition of the switch shaft retaining the switch in engagement with the panel.

Kuen May 3-0, 1922 Gates Sept. 12, 1950 

